


Soul Sharing Is A Bloody Business

by Skymmy



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Basically Daniel and David sharing a body, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Daniel is insane, M/M, Minor Character Death, Murder, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Sharing a Body, Slow Burn, eventually, plot heavy, soul au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-03-31 08:24:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13971144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skymmy/pseuds/Skymmy
Summary: After learning about the events that transpired in camp Campbell after his attempt at ascension, Daniel is dead set on having his revenge on a certain redhead.A mysterious book is delivered, and with it comes his chance to finish what he originally failed. But will it be what he expected?Let's just say that, in this case, two is a crowd.





	1. Daniel is back at Camp Campbell, and this time its personal.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys! Welcome to my first serious project! I'm super excited for this story! I want to thank my friends, since its because of them that this exists and I want to thank you, for taking the time to read! Hopefully, you'll like my little journey and that you'll stick with me to the end!
> 
> I'll try to update this every other Saturday, but I may miss a few days, ahah... Please bear with me :D  
> Also, all comments are very, very appreciated! Make sure to tell me what you think~
> 
>  
> 
> psst, my tumblr is https://skkymmy.tumblr.com , if you want some camp camp art ;p (and other bullshit)

Chapter 1

 

Daniel's body ached from the inside and out. Each convulsion of his muscles was followed by pain, piercing his skin hotly. He felt as if someone a hundred pounds heavier than him had plopped themselves onto his body, and it was suffocating. He moaned, chocking on his own blood and saliva. Daniel arched his body upwards, trying to shake off this excess weight of off him, when a wave of excruciating agony washed over his entire lower body.

His stomach felt as if it had been ripped open and torn from the inside of his body, hot white pain pulsating through his intestines. The blond tried to scream, but the blood clogging his throat cut the cry short.

He was dying.

 _"Wh- Someone call the doctor, we have an emergency in room 119!"_ A distant voice shouted from somewhere around him, but he couldn't pinpoint the sound.

It didn't matter anyway, he would join Xeemog's side soon enough.

 _"What's going on?"_ A different voice chimed in, or was it the same one as before? Daniel couldn't tell. _"The patent somehow managed to remove the pump from the incision! He's showing signs of awareness, someone bring me anesthetic, he shouldn't be awake yet!"_

Daniel felt a cold, slick hand grip the back of his neck and lift his head a bit, propping it up on something soft. The sudden change of height prompted thick blood to leak from his mouth, trailing down his chin.

Something cold with a metallic texture to it prodded at his lips, trying to forcefully insert itself into his mouth. Daniel jerked back roughly, his body immediately reprimanding him when a shock of pain ran through his spine.

 _“Be careful! The patient is confused and if we distress him even more it’s going to get worse.”_ A stoic voice loudly scratched at his ears, the sound agitating his sore head.

The metal thing managed to break past his lips and inserted itself forcefully into his mouth, and then seconds later another one stuffed itself into his nostrils.

Daniel tried to fight, no one had the right to defile his pride right before he departed from this plane of existence!

 _“We’re losing him!”_ A male voice echoed in the room _“add another dose of anesthetic!”_

_“But- “_

**_“Now!”_ **

**_____________________________________ **

****

****

A long, perpetual sound vibrated through his brain, forcing his eyes open and causing an uncomfortable feeling in his temple.

He was surrounded by machines and tubes. Each emitted a different, yet just as excruciating beeping noise, which was surely driving him mad and making his insides churn with nausea. There were small tubes that were connected to his stomach, and some sort of liquid was being pumped into his bloodstream via an IV stand, placed next to his bed.

_What… happened?_

Daniel tried to lift himself up slowly, his muscles screaming in pain with the smallest movements. He propped himself up on the pillows behind him and took a minute to catch his breath.

The room was… bleak, to say the least. It made him feel as if he was stuffed in a psychiatric ward. The walls were white, as was the floor. The only thing worth mentioning about the room were the windows.

He was stuck in a hospital bed with ten different kind of tubes connected to his body and delirious with pain… and it was his own damn fault! He failed one simple task! Help the kids ascend, something he had done a million times before.

If his people found out about this…

He sighed, they would, and when that happened, he was ready to accept his punishment.

No matter that, there were more impending matters that concerned him right now.

After a few minutes of stretching and testing his limits like how fast he can move his limbs and which positions hurt the most, Daniel decided that leaning against his pillow suited him best.

The blonde’s attention quickly switched to the tubes plugged inside of him, determining each one’s specific path and how to untangle them if the need ever arises. At this point Daniels patience was running thin, he needed to figure out a way out of here, and he needed to do that fast. But that was not happening until he found a way to unplug these damned things out of himself and do it safely.

Just as Daniel was about to attempt to get out of the bed, the door to his right slammed open and two nurses rushed in, one carrying bottles and syringes and the other something akin to ointments and other bottled medicine.

Daniel immediately switched his demeanor, putting up a front in order to observe the nurse's reactions and emotions more freely. It would be monumentally easier if they found him charming.

"Hey there! Boy, am I relieved to see another person other than myself around here! Well, two but you get what I mean." Daniel chuckled, cracking out a wide, charming smile.

Ah, that did it.

The tension that had been amassing ever since the two entered his room slowly started to lift, both of the nurses relaxing after seeing Daniel's openly friendly aura.

"I imagine you're very confused right now sir, but you shouldn't be worried, you're in good hands here!" The younger one of the two chirped, her body moving in an eccentric manner, while the older one made a move towards his bed.

The younger one looked in her early 20s, red hair, faded green eyes and her face was covered in dimples. Her face looked tired, despite the cheerful front she was putting up. The constant twitching of her fingers and eyebrows indicating overexertion, sleep deprivation or anxiety. Young, anxious and easy to manipulate, he could work with that.

"Oh, I don't doubt it! Though, it would be helpful if I knew why I was here!" Daniel chimed, his voice warm and friendly. "Waking up sure was a doozy..."

The older nurse looked at him, brown eyes scanning his features, before turning to her college and signaling something with her hands, causing the other to promptly leave the room, before returning her attention back to Daniel.

"I assure you sir, there's nothing to worry about. The doctor will arrive shortly, so he can answer your questions" The nurse stated, tone even and clear.

After the other nurse left, Daniel and the older woman, which he came to know as Lilith, managed to converse for a while, with Daniel trying to gather as much information about anything he could get away with and Lilith calculatedly dispersing the questions in directions, which blocked the real answers.

Basically, she was throwing Daniel in for a loop and it was infuriating! This woman was intelligent and manipulative on almost the same level as himself, but he had the upper hand, of course. Daniel has been doing this for as long as he could remember, even before the foundry was fully built! He's been honed into a cunning and conniving asset to the foundry's ever-expanding arsenal since the soft age of 7. That alone ascertains him from this woman.

"And that leads us to the question, are you certain that you don't know anything about my condition? Or at least how your personnel managed to find me" Daniel allowed himself to drop his guard intentionally, something Lilith would definitely notice, if she any good at reading people, hopefully it would have the desired effect.

The older woman eyed him curiously, tension apparent in her features. A bad move on her part, she was making it dreadfully obvious that she knew something.

"We found you in a forest after a call was put through, 8D-Con Rat poison running through your system. It was an honest to god miracle that you survived for as long as you did." Ah, that explains it. Not like it was hard to guess really but still, knowing the details made It easier to piece together.

"And whom, pray tell, was the courageous soul who saved my life?"

"Well, I can't tell you" Lilith leaned towards him, her blue eyes holding a stringent glint. "Mostly because I don't know. I wasn't on the team that brought you in, doctor Jones was though" And that was that, he supposed. She promptly stood up, patted his knee and made sure that he had everything that he needed, after which leaving the room on fast feet.

Well, the only thing left for Daniel to do, was to play the waiting game.

~

"I apologize for the wait, Mr. Daniel, I hope that our personnel has been seeing to your needs?" Finally, after 10 torturous minutes, this supposed doctor slipped into his room, the younger nurse from before hot on his heels.

And the sight of the man, made Daniel reel back with repulsion. Oh, sweet Xeemog...

The doctor was a nervous, sweaty and utterly disgusting mess of a man. His outer appearance was honestly appalling, his head sporting short, blonde hair much like his own, only it was horrifically unkept and grimy. And by the terse breaths the man was taking, it was obvious that he didn't exactly have the healthiest of lifestyles.

“They’ve been an absolute pleasure!” And that was no lie, believe it or not. Lilith proved to be an interesting individual, if not a bit intense.

That made the sweaty doctor perk up a bit, somehow making him even more repugnant in his eyes. How did they even let this man-child work here - as some high-class personnel no less, looking like he spent the night in a ditch.

"Ah, I'm glad to hear it! Miss Gail, would you please bring Daniel some refreshments?" Jones shot the nurse a sleazy smile, waving his hand in a shooing motion.

What a gentleman.

The redhead's eyes widened a bit, before nodding her head slowly and made her way out of the room.

When he thought about it, his throat did feel like he'd spent the last few hours in a shouting match, rather than calmly debating about chess tactics with Lilith. A cold bottle of water sounded like absolute heaven right now. Not to mention that leaving Daniel alone with the doctor will prove to be very insightful.

The blonde made his way towards Daniel's bed, placing his clipboard on the nightstand and pulling up the chair that was propped up against the wall on his right.

Daniel was about to gag, gods help him he was going to gag.

"I was told that you had questions? I'll try to answer them as best I can!" Jones smiled, his surprisingly clean teeth peeking beneath his lips.

"Ah, that I do. Ms. Lilith told me that someone called an ambulance for me, and I was wondering about who it may be?" Daniel had a few ideas, but some solid proof will help him decide the next step.

The doctor's eyes widen a bit, as if the question was not what he had expected at all. Shifting in his seat, his eyes shot to the clipboard for a split second, long enough to catch Daniel's attention, then deciding that the window on the other side of the room, was oh so much more interesting than the conversation they were having.

"Y-Yes, you see... he was a charming young man! Very worried, of course, given the circumstances, but very helpful, very helpful-" The sleazy blond was rambling, either to give himself enough time to make up some bullshit explanation, or simply because Daniel was making him nervous.

The latter was giving him very fulfilling satisfaction, if he was being honest.

"And the charming, helpful young lad's name was?" He couldn't help but tease. His tone was amused, but believe him, Daniel was less than. This greasy, rancid man was getting on his nerves.

"U-uhm yes, yes! His name is David, I believe." The man heaved, obviously perturbed of Daniel. Guess he could see past Daniel's charade. Wonderful, he was getting bored anyway.

"David, you say. And, what exactly did he tell you?" Jones was starting to look paler and paler with every second, and his hands were shaking so slightly, so much so that even Daniel's trained eyes barely caught the movement.

"W-Well, I- ah... can't disclose that, I apologize." The door clicked open, making the doctor jump and surprising them both.

The nurse, Gail, peaked her head inside with an expression that spoke volumes of her thoughts. 'What the hell did I miss?'

"Is it a good time? I brought some water and yogurt." She entered the room before the spluttering man had the chance to answer, and handed Daniel the bottle, the feeling of the cold material soothing his hands.

"There you go! Ill place the yogurt here, but please wait for a bit before eating it, we need to see if your stomach can handle the water first." She explained, picking Jones' clipboard up and placing the yogurt in its place.

"Thank you and will do. I would rather not have _that_ kind of an unpleasant experience" Daniel chuckled, downing a few gulps of water slowly, the liquid feeling heavenly against his sore throat.

The nurse blushed slightly, cracking an even bigger smile than she had on before, when the doctor's voice broke the nice atmosphere that found its way in since Gail came in.

"Thank you, Gail, but I believe that we should let Daniel rest for a bit, I'm sure that he's dying for some shut-eye." The doctor muttered, grabbing the clipboard out of the redhead's hands roughly, then promptly left the room.

This kind of behavior was obviously not normal for the doctor, Daniel decided, since the nurse's happy expression quickly morphed into a surprised and embarrassed one.

"I'm sorry about him, work's been really strenuous on all of us and it's taken its toll... Well, I'll leave you to rest, if you need anything, just press that button above your bed!" She explained, smiling at him as she left the room, making sure to close the door behind her.

Now that he was alone with only his thoughts to keep him company, Daniel let himself take a deep breath.

The fact that it was David who saved his life. David; who, with his annoying fucking smile, trusted Daniel from the first second he met him. David, the absolute moron, who somehow managed to best him at his own game.

Even thinking about that overgrown child was making his blood _boil_. Oh, he will have his revenge. And he had a feeling that it would come sooner than he thought.

 

_~ One week later ~_

"This package came in yesterday, but you were asleep, so I couldn't give it to you right away." Lilith explained, holding a medium-sized paper package in her hand.

In the week that Daniel had been here, he got accustomed to Lilith and Gail's schedules, seeing as how they were the only ones who were assigned to him, and to their personalities. He even got them to trust him, Gail, more so than Lilith, but he had managed to do so nonetheless.

Because of this, he manipulated them into giving him access to some documents, information and a few other pleasantries, like off-menu foods and even a book or two.

"I'm doing you a huge favor right now, Daniel. We're supposed to check in every item that gets sent to the patients for a search, but since I know just how much you value your privacy, I managed to snag this before it got transferred in with the others" She told him, pointing the package in his direction, like a mother scolding her child.

"I know, and I'm very thankful for this, believe me. I'll make it up to you, trust me" And Daniel would, he never left a debt unpaid, and this one seemed important.

She examined his expression, apparently finding what she was looking for, because next thing he knew, the heavy package was gently thrown into his lap.

"In any case, this had a letter attached to it, I put it on the underside of the package so I don't lose it. There is no return address, so let's hope that it's not a dead animal or a prank of some sort" Lilith laughed, circling his bed so she could clean up the bottles that had amassed on the nightstand.

Daniel lifted it up, examining the neatly tied, silk strings that encased the paper. He turned it over only to see that there was, in fact, an envelope. It was stuffed into the creases of the package.

He pulled it out, looking it over for any hint as to who this was from and what it was, only to find that it was blank.

This felt awfully ominous, Daniel had to admit. It reminded him of how he, himself, writes letters.

He wasted no time in tearing the envelope open, his skilled fingers fishing out the paper inside.  
Whoever wrote this sure had a flair for the dramatics, even more so than himself. It was written in brown, perfectly centered cursive letters, and it made the pit in his stomach feel even worse.

"Dear affiliate." It read "It has come to our attention, that one of our most skilled priests, has failed to do our Lord and master Xeemog's biding, last he was."

As he continued to read, Daniel felt cold sweat building up on his nape, sliding down his back and soaking the pillow he had propped himself against.

"Xeemog, praise be their boundless kindness, have given this priest another chance at salvation, not wanting to forsake one of their most skilled children. But, in order for this kindness to be repaid, he must finish the deed, he has failed to do in the beginning. Bring this gift to him and pray for his success."

"Daygon ang ilang kahayag, brother."

Daniel stared at the words before him, reading them over and over again. This was his chance at revenge, at _ascendance._ He will not fail a second time.

Lilith must have noticed the change of atmosphere, her worried eyes scanning his features. She placed her calloused hand on his wrist, squeezing it slightly.

"Daniel, talk to me, what's wrong?" She asked, words streaming from her mouth like a waterfall into a pond, soothing his nerves and bringing him out of his daze.

"It's... I'm fine, don't worry. It's from my relatives, they've been worried sick, and I hate to be the one causing the distress." Lying was as natural as breathing to him, so it didn't come as a surprise when her eyes softened, having believed his little sob story.

"It's normal for people to worry Daniel, you should let them" She sighed, patting his shoulder slightly.

"Look, I need to go check on the other patients, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to call, alright?" She asked, eyebrows creased in worry. The honesty in her words left him surprised. To be so kind to somebody you barely knew... he didn't know if it was naïve or just plain idiotic.

"Will do. Thank you... for everything" He said, making sure to waver his voice just a bit, he needed to keep up a persona, after all.

She smiled sadly at him, before picking up the trash bag she had placed in the corner of the room and left without a word.

Perfect, he could look over the 'gift' without any interruptions now.

He wiped his sweaty palms into the comforter that laid heavily on top of him and ripped the packaging from the solid form underneath it.

Once every last piece was off, Daniel took the item, which he now identified as a book, and looked it over once more.

It looked old and worn, with no cover. It reminded Daniel of a journal, actually. The book was thick, with pages that were turning yellow at the corners.

There were small, colorful bookmarks glued onto random pages. He guessed that they were put there by the sender, but decided to check them out anyway, they were probably important.

He cracked open at the purple bookmark and examined the pages carefully.

"Soul binding ritual" Daniel read it over multiple times, the idea of it all sounding ludicrous to him... but appealing, in a way.

He skimmed over the steps and resources he'd need to make this work, and to his surprise everything on the list he either already had or could be acquired inside the hospital itself.

His eyes trailed down towards the notes that were written beneath an illustration of the runes that were needed for the ritual. It read "If done correctly, the soul of the person's will shall get attached to a body or object, trapping it for a vast amount of time-" Perfect.

This... This was perfect!

 

 

_~ A few hours later ~_

 

"Salt, red strings, blood, ink, paper-" Everything that he needed was laid out neatly on the ground before him.

Daniel had spent the last few hours in preparations for the ritual. Making sure that he had every item, and a quiet place to do so.

He had managed to lie his way through everything. The paper, strings and ink? Making a card for his family. Salt, bone and stones? The salt he got easily, the bone he got from his last meal, and for the stones, he got Gale to bring them, saying that it was a keepsake.

And now, Daniel was in the bathroom of his room, windows and door on a tight lock, and a knife in hand.

According to the book, he needed to cut himself in order to cover the knife in blood, and then carve the runes into the stones.

Daniel took a deep breath, his knuckles turning white from the forceful grip he had on the knife and pushed the tip into his forearm.

Blood gushed from his wound, trickling on the sides of his arm and pouring down onto the tiled floor. The pain was making his vision blur, but he won't give in. this was only the beginning.

After a few more slices, his arm was covered in blood, and he made sure to cover the bone in some of it. After wrapping his arm in a towel, Daniel took three stones and carved the runes in the order that was specified in the book and covered them with salt.

He placed the stones in a triangle, then tied the bone with one of the strings and placed it in the middle.

While making sure that everything was in order, Daniel tied the other red string around his wrist, and wrote the same runes on his skin with ink.

This was it, everything was in order.

He took a few deep breaths to still himself and sat down cross-legged, the triangle right in front of his feet.

Here goes nothing.

Daniel chanted out the binding spell and waited. He sat in the darkness with only his breath to keep him company and the sound of his blood dripping down the drain.

Five minutes, and nothing. Did he do something wrong? He couldn't have, everything was precisely prepared! Perhaps, the spell was nothing but-

"David? You okay in there," A shrill voice assaulted his ears, surprising him. He opened his eyes, expecting the darkness of the bathroom, only to be faced with old, soggy wooden walls.

The pain in his arm was all but a memory, and the cold, tiled floor was no longer under him, but rather a soft, white mattress with a green comforter.

He was in camp Campbell... It worked.

"FUCK!" He screamed, wild excitement running through his veins, making him feel alive.

"Shit, David?!” The same voice screeched outside the door, but Daniel spared it no thought.

He had work to do.


	2. From One To The Other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hi there - Long time no see, haha!  
> I'm not gonna waist your time with excuses about why I've been absent, I'm just gonna try to finish this story in one piece. I'm very thankful for the lot of you amazing, wonderful people who've commented and boosted my confidence in my writing! Every time i wanted to just quit, you guys' comments kept me going, and hopefully I'll meet your expectations!

                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

David sighed heavily, stretching his sore shoulders and leaning his upper body against the hard, wooden walls of the mess hall. The place was bustling with life, filled to the brim with enthusiastic and hungry little campers, the sight doing absolute wonders for his mood.

The last week has been a handful on everyone, to say the least. David had to admit that, even if everyone turned out okay in the end, the experience managed to shake the camp and its residence in the worst way possible.

The camp had fallen into disarray because of Daniel's handiwork, leaving Gwen and himself to clean up the mess. Trying to deal with the aftershock slowed down the progress considerably, and not to mention that the paperwork had been a _nightmare_ to deal with! Thank goodness that everything came out okay in the end, his heart ached to even imagine how his life would be without this place.

The children bless their little hearts, had offered to help, and with everyone contributing they had managed to get everything under control eventually, and they even managed to convince Campbell to plan renovations! David couldn't wait to see how the camp would look In a few months' time.

Slowly, everything got back to how it was before, the weird atmosphere that Daniel had brought with himself was all but a passing memory now; David still didn't know how to feel about that.

He couldn't help but worry for the blonde, even after everything he's done.

David was long past feeling ashamed for thinking that way, truth be told. The man has been on his mind ever since he had first shown up at the camp, all smiles, and handshakes. Even if that side of Daniel was just a façade, he still managed to make his heart beat faster with every look and make him blush from head to toe with every hearty laugh.

But even then, David had a very soft spot for children, and even _more_ so for Max, and Daniel had tried to harm them- to kill them, even! And yet... David still finds himself worried sick for him, even the thought of him dying scared David to no end. Sure, he was mad at him but he didn't want Daniel to _die!_

"Dude, you're spacing out again." Gwen's voice vibrated through his entire being, bringing him out of his daze and making him jump.

"Jeez! Don't sneak up on me like that Gwen!" David whined, running his calloused fingers through his dark red nest of hair. He really needed a haircut, actually.

Gwen chuckled, eyes glistening with amusement and raised her hand to tug on his cherished scarf. He liked seeing her like this, David got used to seeing her in a constant state of anger and stress that her smile still seemed surreal.

"I was standing next to you for like, five minutes. You feelin’ okay?" Was he? Honestly, his emotions were a mess right now, one-minute feeling happy and the next finding himself stressed to the bone. Another aftereffect of Daniel's doing.

"I'm-” Not okay, "-a little tired, but I'm fine, really." He knew that Gwen saw right through him the second he finished his sentence. He was really bad at lying, wasn't he?

"Yeah whatever, get out of here. You look like you're about to drop dead, I don't wanna' carry your ass out of here when that happens." Gwen pushed him a bit, trying to state her point.

"But, the kids - " David tried, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, one that he didn't know why he was fighting. Honestly, a break would do him a lot of good, but he didn't want to place his responsibilities on his partner.

Gwen rolled her eyes, taking out her phone from the back pocket of her puce shorts, diverting her attention to the paused video on the screen.

"I can handle the little shits, get your ass to bed." David sighed, shoulders dropping in defeat. David couldn't even begin to fathom what he would do without Gwen.

"Language," David reprimanded with a small laugh "I'll make it up to you and that's a promise!" He playfully pushed his fellow counselor, quickly rushing forward to not get the counterattack that was swiftly coming and made his way towards the entrance door. 

He really hoped that he would be able to last until everyone finished their dinners, having planned a lot of relaxing activities that would possibly lift everyone’s spirits and help them sleep better, but to say that he was tired would be an understatement. The strain in David’s muscles burned with each step, his joints popping uncomfortably whenever he stretched. Gwen wasn’t kidding if he looked half as tired as he felt…

Well, he was glad that he got the chance to turn in early.

____

 

 

The short walk to the cabin had been absolute torture.

David’s insides churned with nausea, his overexerted muscles jerking involuntarily with every few steps, and his head clobbering with intense pain. He could barely see as it was; blackness dotting his peripheral vision.

Once inside, it took all of David’s concentration to maneuver through the small space, his wavering body bumping into various corners and ridges, the pain assaulting his senses. Was he getting sick?

Whatever was happening, it was nothing short of terrifying. David was the living aspect of perfect health, having only been sick a handful of times throughout his entire life. The mere thought of coming down with a sickness while, not only being near the children but so soon after the ascension fiasco, scared him to death. There was no way that this could be Daniel’s doing… right?

 The sharp hammering of a newly-enforced headache quickly stopped that train of thought, the sudden pain causing the brunette to double over, slamming a hand over his mouth in a meek attempt to keep today’s dinner down.

After what he guessed were a few minutes, the disgusting feeling of his throat contracting and the putrid feeling of his stomach acids burning his tongue subsided… somewhat.

David felt groggy, ruined and confused by the situation, sitting on the cold wooden floor of his cabin; a cabin that now seemed way smaller than before.

…Were the walls moving?

“What the _fuck?_ ” A shrill voice shot through David’s skull with an intensity, forcing his body to lurch forwards. The redhead abruptly turned around, the motion not helping his unsettled guts in the least, blinking rapidly in an attempt to focus on the person in front of him.

“M…Max?”

In his state, David hadn’t noticed how Max quickly made his way out of the mess hall the second that he himself had left; nor did he notice how the old, wooden door had creaked open behind him the second he collapsed on the floor.

Max was standing in the doorway, looking more than a little disheveled; his unruly, black hair looking ever more tangled than usual, his meadow eyes wide with confusion and… fear?

“Max w-what’s wrong bud -“David tried, cringing at the sound of his own voice, “-What the actual fuck happened!” Max cut him off, quickly making his way to the redhead’s side.

“You fucking moron, what did you **do**?” Max started, his small eyes taking in David’s trembling, pale form. “We need to call someone, I don’t wanna’ deal with your fucking corpse when you kick the bucket.” He said, shaking hands reaching into his hoodie pockets for, what David assumed, was his phone.

David quickly reached out, weakly grabbing Max’s petite hand with his own. “Wait! I-I’m fine, Max.” The redhead coughed, exerted muscles spasming as he attempted to push himself from the floor.

Not a moment after, Max was at his side, screaming profanities and steadying David’s shivering body.

“You look half a second away from spewing your guts all over the fucking cabin, you dimwit! You need help, and I sure as hell can’t do shit,” Max spluttered, noticeably more shaken up than he had been just a few moments ago.

It was breaking David’s heart.

“I’m sorry for worrying you Max, I promise you I’ll be f-fine, I just need to sleep it off – “A coughing fit interrupted his explanation, almost making him double over if not for Max’s almost painful grip on his leg.

“You’re fucking insane, David – “– Max please!”

David’s desperate shout echoed through the small, wooden space, a long silence permeating the room.

“Please, just… trust me.”

A few more moments passed, Max’s calculated stare boring into his frame, eyebrows scrunched up in concern.

“C’mon, move your ass.” Max murmured, supposedly finding whatever he’d been looking for; his grip softening slightly, allowing David to move. A relieved sigh left the redhead’s lips, taking a few moments to brace himself for the rough ‘journey’ that he was about to go through.

Slowly, carefully, and with Max’s help, both of them managed to reach David’s bed, after which David promptly collapsed onto the mattress, the old springs groaning under the sudden pressure.

“Thank you, Max.” David tiredly whispered, a small smile making its way out. He took a few moments to comfortably nest himself on the bed, before reaching out his shivering arm, tangling it into Max’s nest of black hair. “That’s fucking gay, David.” Max snarked, but otherwise not doing much to stop David’s affections.

“Language.” David giggled, somehow finding the strength to reprimand the little troublemaker even now. But that’s how it always was with Max, wasn’t it?

“Yeah, whatever…” Max faltered a little, his concern showing through, despite the careless front he’d put up; young face creasing with concern. “…You’re not going to choke in your sleep or anythin’, right?” Max said, words clipped and quiet.

“Of course. I’ll be right as rain once I get some shut-eye, and I’m already feeling a bit better!” The redhead immediately shot out, making sure to ruffle Max’s black curls before letting go.

Max eyed him suspiciously, obviously not believing him one bit. Nonetheless, Max’s short frame relaxed, “If anything happens I swear on Mr. Honey Nuts’ stuffed body, I will personally wring your neck.” Max snarled, already making his way towards the door.

“Max, wait,” David said, waiting for a few beats before pressing on, “Thank you.”

“… Just go the fuck to sleep, David.” Max mumbled, quickly turning around in an attempt to hide the small smile tugging on his lips. Been a while since anyone acknowledged him as David did.

“Language! - “The front door promptly slammed shut, cutting him off and leaving him in complete silence, save for the soft songs of crickets and frogs that was seeping through from the forest.

David huffed, a little disheartened that no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t do much besides slowly chip away at the wall that Max had built up around himself. That he couldn’t show the absolute love and acceptance that David harbored for him…

Well, that just means that he’ll have to try even harder.

With a light push, David managed to comfortably fall back into the old mattress, his body feeling a thousand pounds heavier than it had been earlier.

As his consciousness slipped further and further from him, David’s senses were filled with the smell of dark coffee in the morning and the minty smell of a certain blonde’s cologne, until finally drifting into a dreamless sleep.

 

____

 

“Shit, David?!” the same, high-pitched voice seeped from the door on his left; the reality of the situation finally catching up with him. Daniel had done it. The spell had done its job precisely as it was intended.

He’d managed to bound his own soul to David’s body.

The concept that he had, originally, considered ludicrous, was now his reality. And what a reality it was. Finding himself able to do as he wished, to undertake the nefarious plans that he had originally planned; the possibilities were endless! But he was going ahead of himself; right now, he had another task.

Daniel took a second to look over ‘himself’, taking in the sight of tanned, freckled skin and soft ridges, instead of his fair, toned torso. It felt… mildly surreal, like he was dreaming or hallucinating.

It was  **exhilarating.**

Realizing after a moment, that prolonging to answer the individual that was so irritably hollering outside of the cabin, would prove to not only be counter-productive, but a hassle to deal with as well. And so, he answered.

“I’m fine! Just…” Daniel faltered, scrambling to come up with a convincing excuse, “…had a nightmare.”

“Jesus, you scared the shit out of me,” She huffed, voice sounding shaken and exhausted, “I brought you breakfast since you slept through the better part of the morning.” She explained, clanking a finger on the tray to emphasize her point.

Morning, huh…?

But… that was nothing short of impossible! It had been around 8 in the evening, last he was… did the spell alter reality somehow? Or maybe it took hours for his soul to reach its designated location, or possibly! –

“You look better than last night, I’ll give you that,” The voice piqued up beside him, startling him and abruptly cutting off his train of thought. 

When did she-

“David, you know that you can tell me anything, right?” The girl- Gwen, he believed- sighed, eyes slightly glossed and telling, emotions on display; a display that he wasn’t supposed to witness, which made the whole situation so much more exciting.

“Of course! Why bring it up?” Daniel said, easily slipping into a persona of David; having been with the redhead for a time had given Daniel the opportunity to study his psyche- what made him tick, what personality he harbored- amongst other things.

Gwen’s expression morphed faintly, hardly noticeable to the untrained eye, but to Daniel every detail was apparent; her eyes flared with pointed anger, mouth falling into a straight line. Hard to say whether it was directed and himself; or at David’s current situation. How interesting.

“Well… ever since the prick got dragged away to the hospital, you’ve been acting- “She cut herself off, somehow managing to look overtly uncomfortable, while also practically vibrating with barely contained anger, “-Look, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re very _naïve_ in some situations, while Daniel is…not-” Gwen explained, placing the tray on the beaten nightstand next to the bed, “-And it wouldn’t be far-fetched if - “

While what she was saying was true - If Daniel desired it, David would be under his thumb in a matter of hours – he hadn’t done anything specific to David. The redhead got the exact same treatment as everyone else.

 “W-what? No!” Daniel interrupted, which of her points he was denying exactly, the blonde wasn’t sure, “I might be naïve but I’m not _stupid_!” Daniel explained, barely keeping his mouth from jutting upwards. While he didn’t actually take David for a moron, he was admittedly… daft, in some cases.

But it did make Daniel ponder; what, exactly, had happened in his absence this past week?

Gwen looked him over, obviously taken aback by his sudden outburst. For the short period of time that Daniel had spent with him, he’d noticed that David tended to not enjoy being underestimated or if someone made decisions for him.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that- “Gwen started, speaking carefully as if not to scare him,

“-I know… I just need you to understand that I’m not a child; I can take care of myself- “

 “Well, obviously you _can’t_!” She shouted, eyes firing up with newly-ignited fury, “You didn’t notice how Daniel groomed you into doing whatever the hell he wanted; how the fuck would you have known if he hasn’t poisoned you somehow?!” At the end of her rant, Gwen was taking harsh breaths, shaking hands at her sides.

“I know you’re not stupid; but you can’t tell me that what’s been happening to you this past week, isn’t natural,” Gwen offered, noticeably calmer now, “Hell, you barely managed to last through yesterday without stopping every few minutes to catch your breath!”

That seemed… curiously peculiar. Daniel understood why she blamed him, but no poison he used had that kind of effect- it usually just killed the person within minutes. Nonetheless, this wasn’t his doing; that’s not to say that he wasn’t curious as to the actual reason for David’s supposed ‘illness’.

“Just drop it, okay? I feel better since yesterday anyway, so you shouldn’t worry about me!” Daniel huffed, the whole conversation getting on his nerves.

“If you think this is over, you’re in way over your head,” Gwen grumbled, turning on her heels and making her way towards the exit, “I’m gonna’ come and check on you in a few; if you’re better, I might think of letting you help out today.” She quickly explained over her shoulder, already halfway outside of the cabin.

“Now wait for a- “Daniel started, when Gwen harshly slammed the door shut.

Daniel tiredly rubbed his temples, leaning against the pillow behind his back; perhaps it was for the best, this way he could get used to this ‘new’ body of his. With a push, Daniel swung his legs over the edge of the bed, shivering when his hot heels touched down on the cold, wooden boards of the cabin floor. When he stood up, Daniel tensed his muscles, bracing himself for the pain- a pain that didn’t come.

“Right.” Daniel chuckled, realizing, once again, that this wasn’t his body. There weren’t any scars from the incisions, no pain from his abused lungs, and no more nausea to restrain his movements. Looks like the spell had more than a few useful side-effects.

Daniel stretched his limbs, enjoying the newly-found freedom that he now has, before deciding to explore his surroundings.

The cabin was minimalistic, at best. With a few decorations not worth mentioning, there was nothing interesting about this room. Still, it felt oddly cozy; better than the hospital by a profound margin, that’s for sure.

The blonde moved his attention to the tray that currently held his breakfast. Nothing too fancy, just eggs with a side of well-done bacon; not that his stomach was complaining.

Just as Daniel was about to reach for the tray, something caught his eye. Carefully lifting the heated metal, he hastily reached for the picture, the tray proving to be much hotter than he had originally anticipated.

“Well, would you look at that,” Daniel exclaimed, genuinely surprised that David had actually kept something like this. It was a group photo of the entire camp residence, each person taking a different pose, with David being the most noticeable of the bunch; an obscenely huge smile on his face, happiness so prominent, that you could practically feel it through the paper.

…And then there was Daniel himself, a strained smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, obviously uncomfortable at the grip David had on him. He didn’t even remember when this was taken.

Anger quickly flared through his veins, the picture doing nothing but reminding the blonde of his original failure. He threw the picture, not caring where it landed in the slightest; he wouldn’t fail his mission.

Not again- **never again.**

Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to quiet his anger; being irrational would get him nowhere. He made his way towards the bathroom, cringing at the loud creaking of the old boards that pressed down at the pressure of his weight. The bathroom wasn’t much different from the bedroom he just came from; just- cleaner.

Daniel caught sight of his appearance in the mirror to his right; curiosity getting the better of him. It still felt surreal; expecting to see neatly styled blonde hair, accompanied by pale skin and blue eyes, but instead being met with red, messy hair and green, wide eyes surrounded by tanned freckled skin.

David was many things, but unattractive was definitely not one of them, Daniel give him that. He pushed a tanned hand through the nest of red hair, slicking it back slightly.

The result made him chuckle with open amusement; David’s hair was longer than his own, looking absolutely ridiculous while in Daniel’s style.

“What am I doing.” Daniel pondered out loud, confused at his own actions. He should be working on setting his plans in motion, not playing around with David’s hair as if it’s the first time he’s seen it.

The tight, uncomfortable feeling of hunger prompted him to make his way back inside the bedroom, deciding to finally have the breakfast that has surely cooled off by now. His plans could wait for a while longer.

 

 

____

 

The last few hours have been… admittedly eventful.

Shortly after having breakfast – which wasn’t as bad as he had anticipated it would be – Gwen had come in to ‘check’ on him; in reality, she had been fed up with the kids and had come to inquire his help.

In all honesty, Daniel had missed interacting with the kids; telling his stories and seeing that childish wonder that filled their eyes. What he hadn’t expected, was the actual hell that he had to go through. The kids had no respect for his orders, they did as they wished and caused nothing short of discord around the whole camp. David was more than pathetic if this is how he allowed to be treated by _literal_ children.

At present, Daniel was explaining the dangers of wild flora; mainly the appearance of poisonous plants, how to spot and avoid them, among other helpful information that the blonde deemed important. Daniel had ‘possessed’ David with all of his charm and skills intact, at the very least, so he had managed to get most of the kids to pay, at least, partial attention.

Not that they made it easy for him.

As he was explaining that ‘No! You shouldn’t eat a plant that you don’t recognize, just to see if it's toxic!’  Daniel noticed them – again – traversing behind the trees on his left. Max and his merry little band of friends had been skulking a few steps behind him for the better part of the day, thinking that Daniel was oblivious to their presence.

The brats had gotten on his nerves in the first fifteen minutes of this ridiculous ‘chase’, but he’s managed to do a good job of not letting his agitation show, in his opinion.

Why they were doing so, he couldn’t even begin to fathom. What he knew though, was that they would do good to quit this frivolous behavior – for their own good. 

“Hey David,” A boisterous voice roared behind him, surprising him, “Think fast!”

Before Daniel could even attempt to turn around, a staggering force drove into his legs, almost toppling him over. He jerked forwards, hands reaching just in time to keep him from crashing face first into the harsh bark of the tree in front of him.

His first instinct was to furiously grab the person by the neck and strangle the life out of them – before he remembered that David would never even begin to think of such an action, much less act on it.

With much restraint, Daniel turned around and forced a laugh, anger, and shame filling his entire being; this act is tearing on his damn nerves. Once he fully turned around, Daniel was met with turquoise hair and a crooked smile. “Told you to think fast.” Nikki snorted, apparently finding the whole situation hilarious. Daniel couldn’t disagree more.

Daniel – albeit begrudgingly – smiled, ruffling Nikki’s thick curls, “You got me good, kiddo!” He grounded out, tone not quite as friendly as he was going for.

“Nikki, what the fuck!” Ah, there was the main brat in flesh. “What part of ‘stay behind me’ did you not fucking get?” Max shouted, jogging up to them with impressive speed, Neil not far behind.

“Couldn’t help myself! I haven’t seen him since yesterday-” - “You couldn’t - oh my fucking god.” - “Nikki you can’t just-” The three of them began bickering among each other. Xeemog help him, someone was going to die if he didn’t calm down.

“Hi there Max, Neil!” Daniel greeted, trying to maintain a chipper attitude, his patience dwindling by the second. “What’re you three up to this time?”

“Oh, Max wanted to - “- To get some shade, its fucking hot out if you haven’t noticed, David.” Max raised his voice, effectively cutting Nikki off. 

“I agree, it is pretty warm out, isn’t it?” Now that he thought about it, Daniel could feel the sweat dripping down his nape and the still, hot afternoon air burning his lungs. His skin would be getting sunburnt by now if it had been his body; thankfully David had tanner skin that was more or less completely resistant to the harsh rays of the sun.

“Hey, you three!” Gwen shouted, catching everyone’s attention, “Where have you been all fuckin’ day? Get in with the group.” She scolded, eyes stern and final, not leaving any room for arguments.

The three of them groaned, evidently annoyed by getting found out; grouchily making their way towards the rest of the kids, who were excitedly piling into the mess hall for their last fill of the day.  
Daniel had to note that, they were acting highly suspicious, their behavior abnormally peculiar – even for them.

With a large breath, Daniel jogged his way to Gwen, legs tingling with exhaustion from the activities he’d done earlier, “Gwen! Wait up,” Daniel airily called out, wiping the sweat from his brow once he caught up with the redheaded counselor.

“ _What_.” She huffed out, obviously not being in the best of moods. A little worrisome, if he was being honest. Daniel’s plan might not pan out if he failed to broach the subject before his ‘colleague’ reached the pique of her temper.

“Ah, well can I – “ Daniel began, trying to find the best approach to his question when Gwen raised her hand, cutting him off, “Listen you idiot, I don’t know why you’ve decided that I’m your personal caregiver; deciding when and where you’ll take a shit, but I’m done with it,” She spat out, tone clipped and clear, “You can do whatever the hell you want, I have to finish up here and go watch the latest episode of ‘ _Teen prison mom mars’_ “

Daniel stared at her retreating form, trying to discern what had just transpired; only to be left with a minor headache and the wrappings of a new plan. That takes care of that, he supposed.

____

 

After roughly half an hour, Daniel had everything he needed in order to proceed with the, albeit rushed, plan. After ‘sorting’ things out with Gwendolyn, the blonde had opportunely snuck into the kitchens in order to grab a few essentials – pen, papers, a candle, and some matches.

As his current situation, Daniel found himself inside David’s cabin yet again, sitting at the worn-out desk that was tightly pressed into the wall on the left side of the door, all of the items he needed spread around the chipped surface.

As he made the first few strokes on the paper, a sudden, arduous pain shot through his head, making his vision swirl and contorting the words in front of him, “Fuck” he heard himself snarl, hands digging into red roots.

Colors blend into one another, making it impossible for him to see even an inch in front of him, a remote voice, different than his own, chipping at his thoughts, **“Why is this happening?”** It quivered, the sound layered and echoed.

Was that –

“David…?” Daniel heard himself grit out, the pain subsiding ever so slightly at the revelation.

Ah, it would seem that the spell wasn’t as potent as he’d hoped it would be; David had cracked the barrier between their souls – and after such a short period of time as well! How troublesome.

 **“D-Daniel?”** The voice whispered after a moment, clearer now that the ache in his head had lessened, **“What’s happening? Am I dreaming?”** David wondered, obviously perturbed at the situation at hand; Daniel can’t say he blamed him.

“Can’t say you are Davey unless you dream of me being ‘inside’ of you often.” Daniel chuckled, voice sounding rough, even to his own ears. Damn, this headache was going to kill him.

**“W-What?”**

Daniel rolled his eyes in agitation, while It would be absolutely terrific to antagonize David further, he had more pressing matters at hand. They had all the time in the world to play later.

“I’m sure you’re very confused and very scared, but I would be thrilled if you could shut that flap of yours until I finish up my report.” Daniel curtly explained, already resuming his previous endeavor.

 

_“– while the original plan was to ascend each camper; it proved to be more challenging than was expected. As for now, the concurrent method will be considerably longer-termed – “_

 

As the pen scraped the rough texture of the paper, David’s booming voice suddenly rang in his ears, “Hold on now, what do you mean – “ “ – David dear, I know you’re not of the brightest sort, but your memory can’t be so short-termed; as I recalled I told you to shut up, it would do you good to listen to my advice,” Daniel reprimanded quietly, acutely aware of the fact that there might still be people up and about; the wooden walls were quite thin to boot – after all, he didn’t need that brat meddling with his business once again. “I’m sure you don’t want to witness sweet, precious Max losing that bright light of his at ‘your’ hands – am I wrong?” Daniel calmly mentioned, never once ceasing the motion of his hand.

**“…”**

Daniel felt his lips quirk up, feeling gratified at managing to quiet down the ruckus in his head, and with it calming the dull ache that had taken place after the painful pulses that Daniel had experienced not even a moment ago.

_“In highest regard, a servant of the lord.”_

As Daniel signed the letter, his arm gripped the already burning candle, holding it over the folds as its wax trickled down onto the paper. Once he was satisfied with the amount, he gingerly placed the candle back into its place.

He quickly fished out a wooden block, which he had carved earlier in the day, delicate lines showing off the shape of a star; all sharp lines and edges, accompanied by a smooth capital ‘Z’ in its center – The signature of the foundation. Daniel pressed the brand into the glistening wax, applying just the right amount of force that would allow the wax to mold into the form.

“There we go,” Daniel quietly said, pleased at the near-perfect stamp on the letter, “Now then, an explanation is in order.”

He swiftly stood up and with a slight waver made his way towards the small bathroom, intent clear in his every step.

 **“Daniel, what are you doing!”** David pressed, voice obviously bewildered at the current… predicament he found himself in, “Everything in due time, David.” Daniel sang out, voice taking a chipper tone.

He took a sharp turn, stopping in front of the bathroom mirror, his appearance in full view. Daniel took the time to examine himself once more, noticing the fain shift in the color of his irises. A greenish-blue mix now filled the large eyes – at the spell’s fault, no doubt. Maybe David breaking the seal had caused this sudden shift in appearance… fascinating.

“You see, I didn’t appreciate how things ended between us,” Daniel started, his already sharp grin turning upwards, enjoying the sense of dread that radiated from the inside of his mind, that was no doubt David’s, “So I decided to give you a little…’visit’ of a sort.”

 **“V-visit?”** David’s small voice seemed clearer now, more profound than before, **“I don’t understand – “**

“– Of course, you don’t, how could you comprehend the powers at hand, you’re but a mere… uninformed, lost soul upon the lost waters of this wretched world,” Daniel explained, feeling immense gratitude at the prospect of his childhood; being raised with the knowledge of a being, far greater than he, and a purpose to follow.

“But I will make you see, I will make your precious friends see, I will deliver you all into greatness – But not before I make you suffer.” And that was a promise; one that Daniel will keep.

 **“Daniel, I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but I won’t let you hurt anyone again”** David’s voice boomed within the depths of his mind, voice practically dripping with dread.

“Oh?” Daniel crackled, barely managing to steady himself; how amazingly hilarious this whole scenario was, “And how, pray tell, will you do that, hm?” Daniel flashed a grin at the mirror, fully aware that David was able to see everything through his eyes.

 **“I… I’ll find a way!”** Just as Daniel was about to respond, his hand moved involuntarily, falling from the sink to dangle at his side.

That… was very intriguing. Apparently, the emotions of David’s soul were strong enough to cause a shift in his control of the body. It seems that this was going to be a very interesting journey indeed.

“Please do, otherwise I might faint from boredom; I doubt I’ll last long without ah… helping a soul out soon.” Daniel laughed, enjoying the pulses of fear that radiated from his guts.

This was going to be fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
